5 Common Sources of Endocrine Disruptors
Let’s talk about sex. And fertility. And the fact that sperm count is on the decline. Even though men have waaaaay more sperm than they will ever need, if the decline continues at the same rate, a study suggests men may lose the ability to reproduce entirely. Within a generation!
Total sperm count is down 60% since 1973! But, low sperm count isn’t the only side effect of poor semen quality. Men with poor semen quality have a higher mortality rate and are more likely to have diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease than fertile men. Testosterone levels are dropping too, meaning that men are becoming, well, less male.
Curious what the culprit is? It’s a disruption in the development of the male fetus in the womb, which is caused primarily by the increase of chemicals in the environment. In other words, prenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors. I’d call out phthalates as the worse of the worst, and read below to discover where they are lurking.
5 common sources of endocrine disruptors:
personal care products (soap, shaving cream, shampoo, cosmetics, deodorant, after shave, beard oil, nail polish) - My favorite brand is Beautycounter, because the ingredients are not just “natural or clean” but also sustainably harvested. I’ve been a consultant for 8 yrs! You can shop here.
drinking water - tap water varies greatly, but one thing is certain that most people need to be filtering their water with something better than a Brita water filter.
food storage/packaging/fast food wrappers - these are major sources of BPA, PFAS, PFOA, PFC (also known as Teflon) that have been shown to be harmful at extraordinarily small doses.
cookware -glass, stainless steel, cast iron, stoneware
cleaning products - avoid fragrance here! I repeat, skip ALL fragrance. Every brand’s safest detergent is some version of “free&clear”. My favorite brand is Squeak.